Car Throttle

Audi's critically acclaimed R8 sports car gets an upgrade for the 2010 model year, with the addition of a second optional engine to the lineup.  The R8, which is largely based on the Lamborghini Gallardo supercar, gains an optional V10 engine next year that will make the R8 all the more desirable to those with the money for one.  You can debate just how finite a number of people that is in today's economy, but if this car doesn't bring a smile to your face, you're not quite alive: The 5.2 FSI offers a bit more of everything over the regular R8.  While the normal R8 "makes do" with a 4.2L, direct-injected V8 making 420 horsepower, the 5.2 FSI utilizes a 5.2L  V10.  This race-bred 90°

During the Detroit Auto Show, Tesla released details on an upcoming variant of their electric sports car, (discussed here), that promises improved acceleration and greater lateral grip.  The imaginatively named Roadster Sport will use a hand-wound stator (which sounds unpleasant to deal with) to reduce friction and increase efficiency.  This apparently drops the 0-60 time from 3.9 to 3.7 seconds, which is quite fast for a car with no pistons. The suspension benefits from stiffer, adjustable dampers and thicker sway bars at the front and rear.  The Roadster Sport uses Yokohama Advan A048 tires, which is basically a barely DOT-legal race slick.  This car, with it's instant torque delivery, has to be a nightmare to drive in the wet! Tesla has yet to release real pictures

Almost as if there wasn't a world-wide economic crisis going on, Dodge introduced a special edition of their lovably anachronistic Challenger sports coupe at Detroit.  While it amounts to little more than a tape and stickers special, anything in today's market that debuts with a huge powerful V8 and good looks should be embraced - next year it might have a dang Hybrid Drive or something silly. The Classic is a retro-throwback package for the mid-level Challenger R/T, which is powered by Chrysler's glorious 5.7L 16v V8.  With the six-speed manual, the engine makes 376 horsepower and 410lb-ft of torque, made more effective by a shorter 3.92 final drive ratio and a limited slip so it will liquify both tires equally. The Classic also gets a low-restriction

The theme at this year's Detroit Auto Show was definitely "green." It's the current industry buzzword; sort of like "horsepower" was 3 or 4 years ago.  While Chrysler has been spending a lot of time putting out "green" cars to impress the press (and help them get government bailout loans), the 200C EV concept displayed this year actually sounds like something consumers might want to buy. The 200C EV is a mid-sized sedan, styled by Chrysler visual guru Ralph Gilles, the man behind the arresting styling of the 300C.  The car is quite a departure from the aggressive, angular styling Chrysler has been embracing lately.  It's certainly an elegant shape; a streamlined, Camry-sized four door that has little hints of everything from Hyundai Genesis to Mercedes-Benz.  (Funny

Not satisified with the 552 HP W12 of the Continental GT and GTC? Well then, Bentley has the car for you! Along with some revisions to the standard Continental GTC, Bentley has unveiled an new sport model to the Continental line, the GTC Speed.  There's not a whole lot going on with the standard GTC' model other then some minor changes.  They include a new, more upright grille, reworked intake area, some new colors (Aquamarine & Blue Crystal), a retuned power steering and the addition of ceramic brakes and and Adaptive Cruise Control (bit late to the party on that one Bentley) as options. Available with only the 20 inch wheels, Bentley says the carbon-ceramic brakes (CCB) are the largest and most powerful brakes ever to be offered on a production car. Underneath, new low-friction dampers improve the response of

Say hello to the future of Cadillac! Gone are outlandish, gas-hog concepts like the Sixteen and in is a new future at the forefront of fuel-efficient cars. The Converj concept, with GM's range extending electric drive system, dubbed Voltec, previews a new chapter in Cadillac's "Art & Science" design theme.  The Converj concept's proportions shows off a different twist for Cadillac and it's how it's design language is changing to meet the requirements for vehicles of the future. The long front overhang indicates this is a FWD vehicle. Whether or not the vehicle sees production in this form, most likely we'll design elements from this car in another FWD vehicle, Cadillac's next-generation BLS.  The design is very progressive, yet still uniquely recognizable as a Cadillac. Just look at those fins! The body line along

Battle of the 4-Door coupes! Audi has introduced the Sportback concept, a very stylish "4-Door Coupe" concept vehicle that should offer us a good glimpse at Audi's upcoming CLS (And maybe Fisker Karma competitor), the A7.  The Audi Sportback concept, like it's intended competition, has a coupe-like roofline and overall the design is very clean, offering a look at the next iteration of Audi's design language. LED lighting features prominently, keeping with recent moves by Audi in this area.  Audi's R8 is the first production car to have both LED high and low beams. The large, Audi single frame grille is more svelte in this application, and is reshaped with a flatter outside edge, fitting in with the rest of the design quite well. The rear

Whoa, a turboed 4-cylinder Lincoln! File this one in the "strange but true" category!  Lincoln has debuted their take on a small C-segment luxury vehicle and it turned out surprisingly good. Could it be a preview of what's to come? Even 5 years ago, a concept like this would have been unheard of from Lincoln.  How times have changed!

Amazingly, designers were able to make Lincoln design work on a vehicle of this size. Designers have took traditional Lincoln cues like the full-width taillights, thick rear C-pillar and 1961 Continental-like suicide doors and integrated them into a very untraditional package.   That's no small accomplishment, considering the diminuitive proportions of the C Concept. According to Lincoln, the C Concept is based on the platform underpinning the next Ford Focus, but

Well, who saw this coming? Fisker, the pet brand of famed stylist Henrik Fisker, introduced the production version of their Karma hybrid sports sedan today at NAIAS.  While this isn't the best economy to introduce a complicated, $87,900 sports sedan, the Karma just might have a fighting chance - and here's why. For one thing, it's stunning.  The Karma is the brainchild of Henrik Fisker, who was previously a stylist for Jaguar - who knows a thing or two about making beautiful cars.  The car h,,as hints of Maserati, Aston Martin, and speedboat - it's different, but pretty.  What's really interesting about this sexy, low slung road rocket is how it's propelled. Under the hood of the Karma is General Motor's highly acclaimed LNF four cylinder, a

For 2009, Maserati has added a new variant to the Quattroporte line. The Sport GTS model packs various mechanical upgrades into the highly acclaimed Quattroporte 4-door to make a bit more aggressive.  The biggest change is the switch from the older 4.3L Ferrari-derived V8 to the new 4.7L V8, already used in the GranTurismo S coupe as well as the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. This new V8 bumps the power output of the Quattroporte from an even 400 up to 433, and torque jumps from 339 to 361 lb-ft.  Despite the increased displacement, the power curve shifts upward - the 4.7L V8 now reaches a rev limit of 7,200 rpms with the power peak at a lofty 7,000 rpm, the same as the regular 4.3L Quattroporte, but